You're Here Now
by Hikary Sanoko
Summary: Sabo can't help but feel guilty after seeing his little brother for the first time in twelve years. Luffy disagrees and Sabo gives him closure. Brotherly Sabo/Luffy


**Title: You're Here Now **

**Another one-shot that randomly popped into my head, ever since Sabo was revealed to be alive I've wanted to write something but never got around to it until recently! **

**Read and Enjoy!**

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><p>Seeing his little brother for the first time after more than a decade had Sabo resisting the urge to run. It had taken him weeks to steel his nerves and muster his courage for this single moment. It was funny really; he could stare down a Marine Admiral capable of killing him without a single flick of fear or concern. But confronting his baby brother had him nearly running for the hills.<p>

But it had to be done; Sabo wouldn't be able to live with himself if Luffy didn't know he was still alive. That he hadn't been left behind by his brothers'. That _he _hadn't broken his promise (_Don't worry, we won't leave you alone!_). He wanted-no _needed_ Luffy to know that there was still one brother out there who he could depend on.

He just hoped that Luffy didn't hate him.

"_Hey Luffy, did you miss me?" He greeted voice smooth and confident. His heart pounding in his chest with nervous energy. _

He was exhausted, fighting a Marine Admiral and an island full of enemies was tiring. Dressrossa was free, but not without damage to both the area and every party involved. But he was happy, he won Ace's devil fruit and he managed to reunite with his little brother without chickening out. Now that all the fighting had stopped and the injured were getting treated he could finally talk to his brother in peace. "Shishishi! You're really strong Sabo!" Luffy grinned excitedly, not even flinching when he jarred his own wounds.

The sight of numerous bruises and blood on his brother's visible skin made him frown, old instincts humming with dissatisfaction and worry. "It's okay, they don't hurt." His brother reassured, even after so long, still able to sense when his brother(s) were not happy. His eyes widened slightly in surprise; when had Luffy grown up…? Where was the little boy who used to cry at everything? Dear God, how much had he missed in the last 12 years?

"I'm glad you won Ace's devil fruit! I wouldn't want anyone else to have it." Luffy said happily wrapping his arms a few times around his older brother's torso, soaking in the familiar warmth that he'd dreamed of for two years.

"Of course, I wouldn't want anyone else to get it either." He replied running his hand through his little brother's wild black hair while the other held onto Luffy just as tightly, grinning slightly despite the churning guilt in his chest. "Speaking of Ace…" He begins nervously, the topic of their departed brother was a sore spot for both, "I've been to his grave-"

"He was buried?" Luffy interjected, eyes painfully wide and face suddenly pale-and Sabo feels nothing short of horror because _he had never known_. "Y-yeah he was buried by his crew and Red-Haired Shanks." He explains past the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. He wants to reassure him that Ace had been put to rest surrounded by people that loved him and that the marine's never got the chance to turn him into some sick trophy for the world to see. But he doesn't need to because Luffy seemed to know that. And a strange mix of guilt and relief crosses his face,

"I wasn't there." Voice small and absolutely pained. And it made the revolutionary want to cry and break faces and bones because it was the marines (the worlds') fault that his (always would be) baby brother never got to say good bye. Never was allowed to mourn the loss of the brother who raised and loved him. Never got the closure he needed.

"Here" He reached into his overcoat pocket and pulled out an Eternal Pose (his, but he had an extra on the ship anyway) and handed it to Luffy who looked at it wide-eyed. "That's where he is. It's pretty deep in the New World and the island is protected by the Red-Haired and remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates so no one could bother them."

"I can see him whenever I want?" He asked, clutching the compass tightly as if afraid that someone will take it from him or tell him that it's a joke and it lead nowhere. "Yeah, no one would stop you from seeing him." (It was only a miracle that Ace's crew didn't skewer him on site.) If Ace's nakama were anything like he'd heard, then he knew that they wouldn't dare harm Luffy and would welcome his presence.

Sabo wrapped his arms around Luffy's thin shoulders as he let out a pained, shuttering sigh, and Sabo felt utterly horrible. "I'm sorry." He said softly, tightening his hold on Luffy more, the two word's not enough to express what he wanted to say.

_I'm sorry for not telling you I was alive sooner._

_I'm sorry for leaving you and Ace._

_I'm sorry for being a horrible brother._

_I'm sorry that I couldn't be there to help save Ace._

_I'm sorry for not being there to protect you._

_I'm sorry-_

"It's okay" He interrupts Sabo's train of thought as if he knew what the blond was thinking; he looked up from Luffy's hair and was surprised to see a big smile on his face, eyes shining happily as if he was so…happy to see him. "At least you're here now, so that other stuff doesn't matter!" He assured, a challenging pout already forming on his face as if daring him to argue.

Sabo grinned back, "Yeah, it's all okay cause I'm here now."

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><p><strong>What did you guys think? Tell me your thoughts in your reviews!<strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


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